My heels clicked on the marble floor as I passed store after store, not finding what I was looking for in any of them. Although, in all reality, how did one find what they were looking for when they didn't know what they were looking for in the first place? Buying gifts for Finn was hard because he was the type of guy who didn't ask for much. He was happy with a kiss or a hug. He just didn't put much stock in gifts of any sort.

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my purse. Marie and Noelle were watching the kids so I could shop, so I expected it to be one of them. I was pleasantly proved wrong.

It was my husband instead. Hey, Ginger.

Hey, babe. How’s the tree lighting going?

Boring as hell. We’re at lunch now, then heading back out.

I grinned and typed back fast. What time does the jet leave tomorrow?

We didn't take a jet, we flew first class this time.

I frowned. Why?

Something about mechanical issues.

I passed Bath and Body Works, its fragrance practically punching me in the face. Okay, then when does your flight leave?

11:30. Can’t wait to see you and the kids again.

Smiling, I paused in front of Victoria’s Secret. Me either.

It’s freezing here. How’s it there?

Warm and sunny, like usual. No snow?

Not a lot. Just enough to have fun in.

I sat on the bench outside Victoria’s Secret. Even a few stores away from it, I could still smell Bath and Body Works. Maybe I should get some fruity "grown-up" body wash for Susan, and a little body pouf. She'd love that. Good.

All right. Break’s over. I’ll talk to you soon.

I sighed. Love you.

Love you more.

Lifting my head, I checked out the lingerie in the window. It was black, with lace in all the right places, and sheer fabric everywhere else. I bit my tongue, picturing the look on Finn’s face if he saw me wearing that. He’d pull me in his arms, and kiss me until I couldn’t breathe. Then he’d back me against the wall, pooling the fabric in his hands as he lifted it up my body, inch by inch…yeah, I think I found present number one.

Heading inside the store, I browsed the risqué collections and ended up leaving with the lingerie from the window and a few pairs of sexy panties. After all, a girl could never have too many panties. Sighing, I held onto my bag and headed for Bath and Body Works, idly glancing at the television in the restaurant on my left. It was talking about a big storm sweeping across the country, and I stiffened when I saw how close to Utah it was.

Don’t stress, he’ll be home.

He promised me…and Finn never broke a promise.

Forcing my mind off the storm I almost passed the perfect gift for him. I stopped in my tracks, backing up a couple of steps to check out the pocket watch in the window. Finn’s father had always carried a pocket watch, and Finn had used it until it died a few years ago. Even now, he carried it with him sometimes for good luck, even though it no longer told time.

Maybe it was time for a new one.

Smiling, I headed into the store, feeling lighter than I’d been moments before. I’d found the perfect gift for Finn, and I knew just the way to give it to him.

As I walked out of the store, watch in tow, I almost ran into someone. I reared back, immediately ready to apologize, but the words died in my throat. “Noelle? What are you doing here?”

“It occurred to me I needed to do some last-minute shopping, too. So when Cory went down for his nap, I left Marie in charge.” Her gaze fell down to the bag in my hand, and she grinned. “Finn’s going to love whatever’s in that bag, isn’t he?”

I smiled back. “God, I hope so.”

“I’m sure he will.” She nodded at her own bag. “I had the same idea.”

Laughing, I pushed my hair out of my face. “The one in the window suckered me in.”

“Oh my God, me too.” She pointed. “The black one?”

My cheeks heated. “Yep.”

“Guess our guys have similar tastes,” Noelle joked.

“Or we do.”

She laughed. “True!”

We fell into stride together. “Looking for anything else?”

“Not really. Just kind of window shopping. You?”

I pointed at Bath and Body Works. “I was thinking of getting Susan some goodies from here. Want to join me?”

“Sure,” she said, smiling.

Noelle was a newer addition to our group, as her and Riley had only been married for a year or so, but over the past year I’d learned a lot about her. Her parents had been criminals, so when she hooked up with Riley not knowing he was the son of a politician—one who hoped to one day soon be in the White House—things had looked bleak.

She and Riley had even split for a while.

But then they’d come to their senses, and Noelle had been a part of our lives ever since. I was happy about that. Despite not getting much alone time together until this week, we’d clicked immediately, and she had a big heart.

“Oooh, look at this one,” she said, holding up a cupcake scent. “She’d love this.”

I took it, nodding. “Perfect.” I sniffed it. “Ooh, it smells good.”

“Strawberries!” Noelle cried triumphantly, holding it up like she’d found the hidden clue to curing the common cold. “And peony!”

I cracked up. “You’re way too excited about this.”

“I used to always want to buy stuff here as a kid, but we never had the money,” she admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear. “It’s still weird, having it. I feel like I take it for granted sometimes, you know?”

“I do know.” I picked up all three of the scents and headed toward the body poufs. “I mean, I always had money, growing up, but I think it’s too easy to forget how much people struggle sometimes, you know?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“Every Christmas I have Susan pick out a family to sponsor from the giving tree at church. I take her out and she shops for them, and I remind her how important it is to give back. It’s something I’ve always taken seriously, since I was old enough to understand just how lucky I was to be born into the family I was.”

Noelle touched a lotion. “What did you used to do to give back?”

“Soup kitchens.” I gave her a half smile. “Finn would get so mad at me if I went there alone in college, because it wasn’t in the best section of town, but I refused to stop. I still go once a month to help out. I also volunteer at the abused woman’s shelter, too.”

Noelle’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s awesome.”

“What do you do?”

She hesitated. “I sponsor a couple of children in Africa. Donate to Red Cross. Pretty much anything I see that catches my eye and my heart. SPCA. All those commercials get me…”

“Oh my God, me too.”

“If Riley wasn’t allergic, I would have adopted all the cats by now,” she said, spreading her hands out in a sweeping gesture—and almost knocking over a display.

I laughed. “All the cats?”

“Every last one.”

I picked up a pink pouf. “I want a cat but Finn keeps saying no. I want one of those smooshy faced ones that have no nose.”

“Persians,” she said.

“Yep.”

“They’re adorable. I had one growing up. She would snort when she got excited.”

I laughed. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Right?” She pursed her lips. “I wonder just how allergic Riley is…”

Shaking my head, I walked up to the register and paid. As we walked out, the weather was on the television again. I stopped in front of it, gesturing at the screen. They were talking about timelines of the storm. The weather men had moved it up from tomorrow night to tomorrow morning, as it had picked up speed. My heart sank, and I stopped dead in my tracks. “Did you see this?”

“See what?” she asked, frowning.

“The weather. A bad storm is heading for Utah, and it’s ahead of schedule.” I adjusted the bags in my hands, staring at the screen as people pushed past us, annoyed we were in the way.

“Crap,” she muttered. “Want to grab a drink so we can listen in before heading back? Cory’s asleep, and Marie was painting Susan’s nails when I left.”

I hesitated, but then nodded. “Yeah, let’s sit at the bar area and see what we hear.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” she said, her tone uncertain.

We sat down, and the second my butt hit the stool, my phone rang. Noelle’s did, too. We looked at one another, eyes wide.

“It’s Finn,” I said.

“Riley,” she returned.

“Both of them, at the same time.” My heart twisted, and I said, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

She swallowed hard. “Me too. If we don’t answer, they can’t tell us what we don’t want to hear, right?”

“Right…”

We locked eyes, sighed in unison, and swiped our screens. Slowly, I held my phone to my ear. “Hey, babe.”

“Don’t panic,” he said immediately. “I know you’re probably watching the news, and thinking the worst, but don’t do it. Flights are being cancelled, yes, but ours is good.”

I closed my eyes. “So you’ll be home for Christmas?”

“I’ll be home for Christmas, Ginger.”